Equitable Payments for Nursing Facilities Act of 2023

II 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 1534 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make adjustments to payment rates for skilled nursing facilities under the Medicare program to account for certain unique circumstances. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MAY 10, 2023 Mr. SCHATZ (for himself, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Ms. HIRONO, and Mr. SULLIVAN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make adjustments to payment rates for skilled nursing facili- ties under the Medicare program to account for certain unique circumstances. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Equitable Payments 4 for Nursing Facilities Act of 2023’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:04 May 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1534.IS S1534 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •S 1534 IS SEC. 2. AUTHORIZING THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND 1 HUMAN SERVICES TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS 2 TO PAYMENT RATES FOR SKILLED NURSING 3 FACILITIES UNDER THE MEDICARE PRO- 4 GRAM TO ACCOUNT FOR CERTAIN UNIQUE 5 CIRCUMSTANCES. 6 Section 1888(e)(4)(G) of the Social Security Act (42 7 U.S.C. 1395yy(e)(4)(G)) is amended by adding at the end 8 the following new clause: 9 ‘‘(iv) ADJUSTMENT FOR UNIQUE CIR- 10 CUMSTANCES.—The Secretary may provide 11 for such adjustments as determined appro- 12 priate by the Secretary to take into ac- 13 count the unique circumstances of skilled 14 nursing facilities located in Alaska or Ha- 15 waii.’’. 16 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:04 May 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S1534.IS S1534 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB